The University of Pittsburgh is the recipient of the 2023 C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities for its longitudinal study that is investigating — and addressing — social and structural barriers to children thriving in Allegheny County.
The Pittsburgh Study was co-developed in 2018 with UPMC Children’s Hospital, local children, parents, teachers and advocates. Each study is co-led by an academic and a community investigator, and all data are made available to community members in a child health data hub. The study, which also was awarded the 2023 W. K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award, is following 2,000 children with a goal of eventually enrolling 8,000.
The research teams develop and test age-appropriate interventions for dealing with topics from literacy, to discrimination, to community resilience. The Pittsburgh Study also offers mentorship and leadership training for students, community members and faculty.
“The Magrath Award is a particularly meaningful acknowledgement of the University’s efforts to deepen and broaden our community impact," said Lina Dostilio, vice chancellor of engagement and community affairs at Pitt. "I’m thrilled that Pitt’s community engagement is seen as a national exemplar, and grateful to the many programs, partners, and community collaborators who are leading the way.”
“Congratulations to the entire Pitt team behind The Pittsburgh Study and its community partners in the UrbanKind Institute for this prestigious and well-deserved honor,” said Chancellor Joan Gabel. “Winning the Magrath Award demonstrates that The Pittsburgh Study and Pitt’s commitment to the community is among the most powerful and effective examples in the nation.”
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, which includes more than 250 institutions, presented that award at its meeting this week in Seattle. “Pitt’s leadership through The Pittsburgh Study program has helped address disparities in healthcare access and provided critical care to children across Allegheny County,” the group’s president, Mark Becker, said in making the announcement.